I, gardener

A charismatic television producer arrives in Boston, intent on signing the eccentric scientist Dr. Axel Ozoneff for a new live‑science program. Ozoneff, a prolific author and occasional poet, is famed for conjuring speculative experiments on camera, and the producer believes his presence will spark the imagination of sponsors and viewers alike. Before he can reach the scientist’s hill‑top home, a gaunt gardener blocks the way, wielding oversized shears and speaking with a curt, military‑tone courtesy.

The gardener guides the visitor through a wildly overgrown garden that defies New England’s climate: lemon trees flourish beneath open sky, and towering bushes burst with oddly colored blossoms that scent the air with an unsettling perfume. Through this surreal horticultural display, the story hints at hidden secrets tied to Ozoneff’s research and the gardener’s own mysterious expertise, setting the stage for a clash between scientific ambition and nature’s uncanny resilience.